Reversible rail for bedsteads.



No. 653,753. Patented my I7, |900. w. n. ncLAm.

REVERSIBLE RAQL FOB BEDSTEADS.

(Application 196 rib. 19, 1900.)

(No Model.)

y MQ' NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

IVILIJIAM R. MCLAIN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TOTHOMAS E. OBRIEN, OF SAME PLACE.

REVERSIBLE RAIL FOR BEDSTEAD'S.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 653,753, dated July1'7, 1900.

Application filed February 19, 1900. Serial No. 5,751 (N0 model-3 .T0a/ZZ whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, WILLIAM R. MCLAIv,l of Chicago, in the State ofIllinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inReversible Rails for Bedsteads, of which the following is aspecification..

Thisinvention relates to bedsteads in which rabbeted or L-iron siderails are used to support and hold the bed-bottom in place. The bottomsfor this class of bedsteads are provided in some instances with astraight edge adapted to fit within the angle of the side rails and inother instances with a rabbet adapted to lit overor outside the angle ofthe rails. As a consequence, it is desirable to have the railsreversible in the bedstead, so as to present either the inside or theoutside of the L-iron upward io receive the bed-bottom; and the objectof my improvements is to provide means for a conveniently detachable andreversible connection for the side rails in the bedstead. I attain thisobject by the means illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which-Figure I is a perspective view of the side rail of a bedstead of theclass mentioned provided with my improvements. Fig. 2 is an end view ofthe rail. Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is ahorizontal section on the line 4 -I of Fig. 2, extended to include afragment of the bedstead at the end of the rail and show the relationand connection of the rails therewith. Figs. 5 and 6 are details showing detached parts in perspective.

In the drawings, A designates an L.iron side rail provided with metallicend pieces A', which have square end faces provided with detachable andreversible dovetail connecting-pieces ct of conical form. These areadapted to fit corresponding sockets a in the headpiece and thefootpiece B of the bedstead for connecting the rails therewith. Thedovetail connecting-pieces have au integral base portion C, which isfitted into a corresponding groove or recess C C' in the square endfaces of the rail for holding the connecting-pieces securely againstdisplacement on the rails by torsional strain. In the bottom of therecess a threaded nut D is secured, or a suitable threaded hole d d isprovided in the end of the rail, so that a screw or bolt E,

passing through an unthreaded hole e e in theconnecting-piece and itsintegral base, will engage with the rail and securely hold theconnecting-'piece in connection therewith 55 and its base within therecess. The auxiliary effect of the base within the recess in preventingtorsional displacement by twisting strain on the rails enables a singlebolt to serve Where otherwise at least two bolts would 6o be required,and proportionately reduces the labor required to reverserhe rails. Thehole e e is counterbored in the dovetail part to receive the slottedhead e of the bolt, the outer end e2 of which is shaped and adapted tofall 65 in line with the conical surface ofthe connecting-piece at oneor more points when the head is fitted to the bottom of the counterbore,so that the outer end of the head will have bearing against the wall ofthe socket a when the 7o connectingpiece is iitted therein. This bearingof the socket upon the outer end of the bolt operates as a lock upon thebolt to prevent its connection with the rail from becoming loose orshaky when the rail is connected to the headpiece and footpieee of thebedstead. The part O is reversible in the groove or recess O O', thehole e e therein being adapted to register alike with the hole d d inthe rail in either position of the part O, so 8o that the taper of theconical con meeting-piece can be put in reverse positions with relationto the angle of the rail, and in either will fit alike in the socket ttof the head or foot. piece of the bedstead. The head of the bolt E beingprovided with a slot or groove, an ordinary screw-driver may be used todisconnect and reconnect the connecting-piece when the rail is removedfrom the bedstead to reverse the rail and make it lit with either of thetwo 9e styles of bed-bottom mentioned.

l. The combination with the side rail of a bedstead provided with squareend faces and a threaded hole in each end face of reversible dovetailconnecting-pieces provided with* a bolt-hole, said connecting-piecesrespectively abutting upon the square end faces of the rail, one of theabutting surfaces being provided with a recess and the other with a toocompanion piece entering the recess, and a screw-bolt for eachconnecting-piece adapted to pass through the, bolt-hole thereinand en--gage thetlireaded hole in the end of the rail as specified.

2. The side rail of abedstead provided with a recess in each of its endfaces and a threaded hole in the bottom of the recess, in combinationwith dovetail connecting-pieces, provided with a base portion adapted tofit the recess in reversed positions, and an unthread- 1o ed holethrough the dovetail and base por- ANNIE M. ADAMS, MYRTLE G. MAKLER.

